OTish - How to deal with coworkers/friends after a rivalry game.

I am honestly curious how people handle the next day after a rivalry game? Do you gloat and rub it in, or do you act like nothing happened?
I personally try my best to act like I've been there before, but there are those certain people that I don't mind giving a friendly reminder.

Act like the team has won before (because they have). Like no joke says, just say "nice game" or "good game." When they start in with the excuses about the refs, about if this had been on a neutral court, or whatever, just smile and respond with "yes, it was a good game." Don't even try to reason with a fan who has convinced himself his team is better no matter what the score.

when you lose say nothing. When you win say less. Drives them crazy. They totally want you to be a smug, arrogant s.o.b. so they can still hate you, but you just smile, and say, "yeah great game. Just glad the better team won"

Drives buckeyes nuts. I will admit though, walking around the office building with a sh*t eating grin on your face is completely acceptable.

Also- surreptitiously crop dusting their cubicle and making a graceful exit before they know what hit them is also encouraged. Or if they have an office, drop the hammer, and then as you walk out, close the door behind you.

I like to get under their skin a little bit, especially if its someone who likes to boast after they beat us. Something I found makes them go crazy is to shower them with unmerited praise. Something like this... "Hey, don't be too frustrated about that loss I think they played one of their best games of the season." "I really think Appling had one of his better games of the season, he's really improved his dribble." "At least you know that your team can take care of the ball in clutch situations." etc. etc.

The trick is doing it with a straight face and an ever so slight sarcastic tone. Enjoy!

I have a number of in-laws who are Staee fans as well as two sisters who are grads. It is annoying, but lately been better. I really try to use the technique mentioned above about taking the high road, saying good game, and I will engage in conversation about it if they want to talk about it. But my mistake is trying to use logic and straight forward language about the game and what I'd think about it if I were someone without a dog in that fight. Most the time, they drag the convo into the quagmire that really exposes their emotions about it and their sparty mentality. Despite the fact that I love them as family, I can't stand them when we talk sports, so I just leave it be.

On a side note, one of the aforementioned in-laws couldn't seem to let it go without mentionting the announcers on CBS were extremely pro-Michigan. I have a feeling that if sparty had pulled it out, they wouldn't have mentioned it. Or I theorize that because the game was in AA, the announcers may have assimilated to the crowd and if the game were in EL it would have been the other way around.

We've got a 5 person team I'm on at work, 3 Michigan grads, 2 MSU grads. We're all very respectful and we enjoy healthy debate. In fact, our weekly meetings (coming up in about half an hour) generally become a "let's recap the week in college basketball" meeting because we're all so fanatic about our teams, yet we have realistic expectations (except that loss to Penn State, because fuck that ain't nobody saw that coming). We're nice to each other, they didn't even gloat after Sparty beat us by 23 or whatever ungodly number it was.

Basically, I talk to my Michigan co-workers about it, and wait to see if any of the MSU grads open the door to talk about it. Then I will proceed to recount Burke's final two steals.

As an aside, did anyone notice that McGary was not out of bounds? I don't think he was, I saw it 3 times. Anyways, the point is moot because we won.

I have my entire life to be an adult. Sports are what turns me back into a kid. I live in Ohio and love to give people close to me an earful when I see them. It's all about keeping it in good fun. I expect some smack talk if Michigan loses. It's really more about how you can handle a loss than how you can handle a win, and I've had plenty of conditioning of the grin and bear it variety on Sunday mornings in November.

As a Browns fan there is nothing that hurts more than when we play the Steelers at home. It used to be a huge rivalry that up until recently the Browns had a winning record.

Now the half the stadium is Steelers fans with their fucking towels, and they don't even talk shit except for a minority. It always pisses me off so much more that the Browns are so pathetic that we don't even register on their radar.

It really depends on your normal relationship with each respective person. If you normally talk a little smack about anything, then let 'em have it. You may need to dumb it down a little, though.

If it's more of a professional relationship (where they may even talk smack after a sparty victory), then take the high road. If you say very little, you can rest assured that they're thinking about what you might say.

It's odd for me because most of the Spartan / Buckeye fans in this office are people whom I either manage directly or who are not in the supervisory ranks here, it rarely extends much beyond "Good game" and some high-level analysis, although people that I have known for years will exchange friendly jabs with me as well. The Michigan fans and I will tend to dig into the game a little deeper, but we've had many cross-fanbase discussions here as well that have been very respectful and even productive. It is intriguing to try and fit rivalries into a professional context like that, to say the least. It's really the same with people I know outside of work too, or at least I try to keep it so - a little ribbing, some analysis, and respect.

I'm not one to gloat and put it in people's faces. As a fan, I've experienced humility far too much and know what it's like to be on both sides. Honestly, I act like I've been there. I actually act like there wasn't a game. Just sort of don't ackowledge it either way. Can be effective at throwing the person off a little.

I enjoy making a grand entrance, similar to Hulk Hogan's walk-in, but in full Maize and Blue regalia complete with feather boa, carrying a boombox on my shoulder blaring "The Victors Fanfare." I then climb onto the nearest $prayTan Dawg's cubicle wall, point at him, and swan dive from the corner, farting upon all his Staee memorabilia and citing Michigan's latest standings in both sport and international university academic rankings as I make my descent. Once I am satisfied that he has been reminded of his inferior ways, I return to my superior MICH man corner office and gaze upon my framed diplomas, golf trophies, and pictures of my hot wife decorating the walls.